System of railway construction.



- No."759,252. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

' S. S. ELDER.

SYSTEM OF RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAK.18, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

@994 "W 5 mg;

tegral extensions (Z and (2, respectively.

Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL S. ELDER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM OF RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION- SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,252, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed January 18, 1904:. Serial No. 189,549. (No model.)

To all w/mm, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. ELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, Sangamon county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful System of Railway Construction, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use my said invention.

My invention relates to railways such as are commonly employed in transportation.

The purposes of my invention are to provide a rail of improved construction and to provide novel and improved means for firmly connecting the rails so as to make a continuous railway.

WVith these ends in view my invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of parts shown in the annexed drawings, to which reference is hereby made, and hereinafter particularly described and finally recited in the claims.

Referring to-the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a railway-track embodying my invention. Figs. 2 andS are side elevations of the blanks from which the connecting-plates are formed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the connecting-plates detached and shows the form of the plate in readiness to be applied to the rail. Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial longitudinal section through the connected ends of two abutting rails, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of parts of two abutting rails.

Similar reference letters designate like parts inthe several views.

The rails A are secured to the ties B by spikes C in the usual manner. Near the ends of the rails are transverse rectangular holes a and a. Tough-steel plates D and D have ilnplates I) and D are of such length, Width, and thickness that when the plates are bent with the extensions at right angles to the body of the plate, as shown in Fig. 4c, the extensions d and d will respectively fit in and fill the rectangular holes a and a. When the plates D and D are in position on the rails, the upper edges of the plates rest firmly against the under side of the rail-head and the lower edges of the plates rest firmly against the upper surface of the base of the rail.

Preparatory to use the blanks are bent with the members at right angles thereto, so as to produce plates of the form shown in Fig. 1, but differing in length and width.

In assembling the parts the extensions (Z of the plate D are inserted through the holes a and the plate is driven up tight against the web of the rail, and the extensions (Z are then bent at right angles and driven to fit closely against the opposite face of the Web of the rail. Then the extensions d of the plate D are inserted from the opposite side of the rail into the holes a and driven up until the faceplate rests firmly against the folded extensions (Z and the upper edge of the plate bears against the under side of the head of the rail and its lower edge bears against the upper surface of the base of the rail. The extensions (13 are then bent at right angles and driven firmly against the plate D on the opposite side.

When the parts are assembled as described, they occupy the relative positions shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The rails being connected together as described, the track is gaged and the spikes driven in the usual manner.

A great practical advantage of the construction herein described is that there are no bolts to Work loose, and the ends of the rails are held firmly together, so that settling is impossible.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A blank for rail connections consisting of a body part of a Width adapted to [it between the head and the base of arail and having lateral extensions adapted to pass through holes in the rail and bend back against the web of the rail, as set forth.

2. In a railway the combination of rails A having rectangular transverse holes a and a,

plates D having extensions (Z fitting in the In Witness whereof I have hereunto subholes a and adapted to tui'n back against the scribed my name, at Springfield, Illinois, this Web of the rails plates D having a body por- 4th day of January, 1904.

tion fitting between the head and the base of SAMUEL S. ELDER. the rail and having extensions (Z' fitting in the WVitnesses: holes a of the rails and adapted to turn back MAY F. RYAN,

against the plates D, as set forth. ED. H. KEssBERGER. 

